Search Documents

By M. Z. Quadir, M. A. Islam, P. J. Hazell, G. J. Appleby-Thomas, J. P. Escobedo

The mechanical response of closed-cell aluminium metallic foams subjected to low and high strain-rate loading has been investigated. A set of quasi-static and dynamic (shock) compressive tests have been conducted on closed-cell aluminium foams (CYMAT) with densities of 0.50 and 0.30 g/cc. Post-mortem characterization via optical microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was performed on pristine and deformed specimens to elucidate the dominant deformation mechanisms in these materials. The combination of these techniques allowed for the assessment of critical deformation parameters such as changes in cell geometry and morphology, as well as microstructural evolution and deformation of the aluminium cellular network. These findings aim to aid in the design and development of optimized material structures for impact and blast protection.

Jan 1, 2015

By N. M. S. Balbinot, A. L. Rodríguez, C. M. Mahlmann, R. de C. de S. Schneider

The use of sunflower oil co-products it was studied for production thermoplastic composites. Thermoplastic composites have been processed in polyethylene matrices of virgin linear low density polyethylene (LLDP) or recycled. Samples have been formulated with 10% mass fraction of sunflower bran, seed coat and mixture of bran and seed coat. The material characterization has been achieved by mechanical tensile test and Shore D hardness and by density physical testing. The results have demonstrated better properties to thermoplastic composites with sunflower seed coat.

Jan 1, 2008

By Esperidiana A. B. Moura, Michelle Gomes, Cordelia M. F. Escanhoela, Francisco R. V. Diaz, Angel Ortiz, Rene R. Oliveira

"This work evaluates changes in morphological, mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of electron-beam irradiated HDPE/nanoclay and HDPE/Piassava fiber/nanoclay. Material samples irradiated with 100 and 200 kGy using a 1.5 Me V electron beam accelerator (room temperature, presence of air) were submitted to tensile, flexural, and HDT tests. MFI, SEM and XRD analyses were carried out. Correlation between properties was discussed. Results showed that incorporation of piassava (Attalea funifera Mart) fiber and nanoclay, followed by irradiation represented significant gain in thermo-mechanical properties. Changes in surface morphology and reduction in MFI were observed. In conclusion, it may be claimed that the incorporation of piassava fiber in small size particles and nanoclay in the HDPE followed by electron-beam irradiation effectively improved the polymer properties and led to materials with superior properties suitable for several industrial applications.1. IntroductionIn recent years, the preference for using natural fibers instead of synthetic ones in polymer composites has been growing significantly. In Brazil, due to the great diversity of woody and fibrous plants of our forests, a vast potential of natural fibers is found, presenting good mechanical strength properties, chemical and biological stability, fire resistance, abrasion resistance, shear strength and lightness, among other which may contribute to the development of new materials for different applications such as automotive, aerospace, construction, food segment, cosmetics and others [ 1]."

Jan 1, 2013

By D. I. Davidov, D. A. Shishkin, M. B. Rigmant, E. P. Romanov, N. N. Stepanova, N. V. Kazantseva

The Co-19 at.%Al-6 at.%W alloy was prepared by two methods of casting. We used arc melting under an argon atmosphere with casting into a copper water-cooled casting mold and induction melting furnace with casting into a ceramic Al2O3 mold. According to the X-ray and SEM analyses, phase compositions depend on the cooling rate of the ingot after melting. After arc melting, the cast alloy has a three-phase structure, consisting of  cobalt (FCC), intermetallic phases CoAl (B2) type, and Co3W (DO19) type. After the induction melting, the alloy has a three-phase structure, consisting of  cobalt (FCC), intermetallic phases CoAl (B2) type, and Co7W6 () type. All phases in the investigated ternary alloy at the room temperature are ferromagnetic. Curie temperatures of all obtained phases were defined. It is shown that the magnetic properties of the studied alloy are typical for soft magnetic materials.

Jan 1, 2015

By Neusa Alonso-Falleiros, Aristeu Braz da Veiga, Marcelo B. Mourão, Adriano Pescarmona, Antonio Alberto Froes Schettino, Cyro Takano, Carlos A. S. Giraldo

"The Caron process of nickel extraction from lateritic ores produces a fair amount of an inert residue, the so-called “black sludge”, that is disposed in a dam according to the required environmental regulations. On the other hand, it represents an opportunity to resource recovery. This work presents the characterization of the residue, discusses some possible ways to recover the valuables, and presents experimental results of pyrometallurgical runs aimed at recover nickel as an iron-nickel alloy. It has been shown that the residue contains large amounts of silicon, iron, aluminum and magnesium, in the form of oxides and silicates, and small quantities of nickel, cooper and cobalt, besides several other elements. It has also been shown that gravimetric or magnetic concentration methods do not present promising results. On the other hand, it is possible to obtain iron-nickel alloys by high-temperature carbothermic reduction of the “black sludge”.IntroductionThe Caron process consists of a combined pyro-hydrometallurgical process to extract nickel from high iron limonitic lateritic ores, recovering also the cobalt present in the ore. The main steps are the reduction roasting of the ore, aiming at a selective reduction of nickel and cobalt to the metallic state, avoiding as much as possible iron reduction, followed by leaching with ammonium carbonate solution and the recovery of metal from the pregnant liquor [1,2]. As a result, significant amount of tailings are generated, that are disposed in appropriate dams. This residue, called “black sludge”, contains significant proportion of silica and iron, and also small amounts of nickel, cobalt, cooper and some other elements. Due to diminishing deposits of nickel ore, high metal prices and a significant amount of “black sludge “ available after several years of operation of the plant, Votorantim Metais, who operates a facility in Brazil that uses the Caron process, decided to explore the possibility of recover nickel from the residue. This paper presents the characterization of the residue, and the results of experimental work aiming recovery of nickel from it."

Jan 1, 2008

By C. D. Adams, R. T. Tuenge, C. N. King, J. A. Samuels, B. F. Espinoza, R. C. Dye, C. F. Schaus, D. C. Smith, N. M. Peachey

"Recently, doped calcium thiogallate (CaGa2S4) phosphors have been investigated for use in electroluminescent flat panel displays. The current technique used for the deposition of thin film calcium thiogallate is sputtering. Unfortunately, this requires a high temperature annealing process to provide the desired crystallinity of the phosphor. Recent efforts have focused on the possible use of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to produce the CaGa2S4 layer. The use of MOCVD provides an attractive alternative to sputtering since it does not require heating above the strain point temperatures of the glass substrates used for the display panels. To accomplish this, the deposition of both Ga2S3 and CaS is investigated as these compounds are intermediate steps in the development of the phosphor deposition. Uniform, crystalline films of both Ga2S3 and CaS were deposited and the process shows promise for successful deposition of the CaGa2S4 phosphor.IntroductionThe lack of a satisfactory blue phosphor having sufficiently high luminances at low power has hampered the development of high resolution flat panel displays. Recently, a new series of blue emitting materials have been investigated for use in thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) devices. l ,2,3 These phosphors are based on a series of alkaline earth thiogallate host materials of the form MGa2S4:RE where M can be either calcium, strontium, zinc, or barium and RE is a rare earth ion. A full-color VGA TFEL panel using CaGa2S4:Ce as the blue phosphor has recently been fabricated and tested. l This FPD provided a luminance of 10 cdlm2 at 60 Hz. The enhanced blue in this display allowed its color capabilities to approach those of the conventional CRT.The method of depositing the phosphor onto the display panels in these test devices has been sputtering. Unfortunately the phosphor as deposited does not possess the crystalline properties required for optimum luminance. The crystalline structure is achieved by subsequent annealing of the deposited material. Although this post deposition anneal provides the desired crystal structure, it occurs above the strain point temperature of ordinary glass. Consequently, the implementation of these phosphors requires the use of glasses capable of withstanding high temperatures, adding to the cost of the final display unit."

Jan 1, 1994

By Shaik Jeelani, Mahesh Hosur, Esperidiana A. B. Moura, Rejane D. Campos, Emilia S. M. Seo, Kerry Kirwan, Francisco R. V. Díaz, Maria Sotenko

The use of natural fibers with polymeric resins has spread rapidly. In order to improve the mechanical properties of material, in this work, two variables were used: mercerization and electron beam irradiation. This paper describes the preparation and characterization of biocomposites that were prepared in two different routes using green high density polyethylene (HDPE) and Brazil nut pod fiber (BNPF): the first was to irradiate the composite with 150 kGy and the second was to irradiate the matrix with 15 kGy followed by composite preparation. In both cases mercerized and non-mercerized fibers were used. The irradiation process was carried out using a 1.5 MeV electron beam accelerator, at room temperature and in the presence of air. The material was characterized to evaluate the effect of treatment on mechanical properties of material.

Jan 1, 2015

By Mari Naess, Jan Erik Olsen, Gabriella Tranell

"Fume, also known as dust, is produced during metal refining. Exposure to fume is damaging to the health of plant operators. A mathematical model has been developed to study the different factors governing the fuming mechanism. It is shown that natural convection is the main driving force of the phenomenon, and that the fuming rate is highly sensitive to the area of the exposed metal surface. A new feature introduced in the modeling concept is the ability to include a gas flux of unconsumed process gas flowing up through the metal surface. This reduces the fuming rate, and should normally not be neglected.IntroductionFormation of fume from the ladle in which metal is refined into its final specifications is an environmental issue of importance for the working environment in the production plant. In layman-term fume is often known as dust. It is formed when metal reacts with oxygen. As an example of a fuming process, we will focus on ladle refining of silicon. Note that many of the principles and conclusions will apply to other metal refining processes. For silicon production, silica fume (S1O2) is produced when silicon metal (Si) reacts with oxygen (O2).Silicon is produced in a submerged arc furnace. The metal is tapped from the furnace into a ladle for refining. The refining is conducted by injecting a mixture of air and pure oxygen at the bottom of the ladle. The oxygen reacts with the metal and the impurities, and the amount of impurities is reduced according to product specification. At the ladle surface, metal also reacts with oxygen present in the air surrounding the ladle. This reaction produces silica fume as illustrated in Figure 1."

Jan 1, 2012

By T. Kozuka, K. Sassa, S. Asai

"A new atomization process is developed. The principle of this process is completely different from that of conventional processes. This process uses electromagnetic energy induced by direct electric current and direct magnetic field instead of kinetic energy produced by fluid impingement or disk rotation.Experimental work of this process was carried out using pure tin, and it was found that the crucial factor for a stable operation is the contact state of molten metal with the electrode. In order to control the condition, a delay time controlling unit was developed and combined with this process. It is noticed that this controller works well to produce uniformly sized particles.A linear relation between the impulse and the momentum of atomized particles is found by use of experimental data and is explained by theoretical analysis.IntroductionIn atomization processes prevailing in metal powder technology, kinetic energy is currently employed for atomizing molten metal. That is, molten metal is broken into small particles by other fluid (e.g. water, argon gas, etc) or by impinged upon a rotating solid disk. This splashing process is always accompanied with uncertain factors for shape and size of the particles. The diameter distribution of products, therefore, comparatively spreads over a wide range. From another standpoint, the restriction of atmosphere is inevitable in some of these processes. As a pulverizing technology, the process which can produce uniformly sized particles and permits the choice of atmosphere is strongly desired.On the other hand, a great attention has been paid to the spray casting process as a new near net shape casting. In this process, a small size spraying device is favorable."

Jan 1, 1988

By Sheng Dai, Yuan Lee, Haiming Xiao, J. P. Young

"There are numerous analytical applications of scatter-emission and/or absorption spectroscopy applied to liquids and solids in the temperature range of 0 to 350°C. In this paper an all-silica fiberoptic probe is described which is useful for spectral analyses from 0 to 1600 K and can be used in harsh chemical environments. The probe has been used for Raman spectral analyses of many molten salt and solid material systems to 1000°C. It has applications for such studies at higher temperature ranges. The instrumentation required along with the demonstrated and proposed applications of the all-silica probe are presented and discussed.IntroductionThere are many kinds of scatter-emission spectroscopies that are of value for analytical measurements. Fluorescence, reflectance, arc or spark emission are descriptors for some of these. Raman scatter spectroscopy is also quite a useful technique for analytical measurements.In Figure 1, we give a simplified explanation of the Raman effect. If one shines monochromatic light into a sample, light may be absorbed, exciting the sample to some virtual state. We know from experience that almost all of the light is re-emitted in the same wavelength range. This is called Rayleigh or Mei scattering and is designated in the figure by the arrows in both examples that point up and down from the same lower energy state. A very small percentage (the order of 10-4%) of the monochromatic light is re-emitted leaving the sample at a vibrationally-excited state. Thus, this light is at a distinctly lower energy compared to the exciting radiation. This is called a Stokes shift and is represented in the left-hand example by an arrow descending to a more energetic vibrational state. If the sample is not at a temperature of absolute zero, some of this vibrationally excited state will be thermally populated. That portion of the sample still absorbs and re-emits exciting radiation as Rayleigh scattered light, but a small percentage of the exciting light is re-emitted as the sample relaxes to the lower vibrational state. The energy of this light is of higher energy and is called an anti-Stokes shift, depicted in the example to the right. Notice that the energy separation of the Stokes or anti-Stokes shifted emission from that of the exciting radiation is the same, and expressed in ~cm-I. The intensity of either shifted emission is a function of the population of the vibrational energy states; therefore, the ratio of the intensity of Stokes to anti-Stokes signal varies with absolute temperature. We will come back to this point later."

Jan 1, 1997

By Roberto Giovanardi, Isabella Lancellotti, Luisa Barbieri, Ercole Soragni, Fernanda Andreola

"Recovery of precious metals (PMs) is a present topic, as they are used almost in every electronicelectric device. Gold is the second PM in order of consumption (following silver) and it is almost ubiquitary in electronics where it mainly finds application to produce bonding wires in integrated circuits and as a coating for contacts and connectors. Given this, discontinued electronic and, with a minor role, electric devices may represent a primary source of PMs as gold mines or jewelery wastes.At present the recovery of gold from such waste is generally accomplished by two strategies: by oxidative thermal treatment followed by metallurgical or chemical processes or by cyanide chemical etching; both techniques do not represent the optimum as the first one deserves a great amount of energy and non-combustible pollutant slag and fumes are produced, while the second procedure comports the use of a highly pollutant agent as cyanide.The aim of this work is the characterization of different electronics scraps to evaluate the gold concentration, and the selective recovery of this metal using enviromentally-friendly techniques. In particular, a new process was developed in order to overcome such environmental and efficiency issues. The process reaches the goal of detach the gold film from the substrate by selective leaching of the supporting metal.IntroductionThe treatment of waste from electrical and electronic equipments is a current topic as their role in modern life is increasing. The disposal of such waste represents both an environmental and an economical concern due to the vast amount of both precious and non precious metals.The use of precious metals (PM) in this field is of primary importance given PM’s unique properties, which give to each of them a specific and irreplaceable role. Silver is the most used, with a demand of over 5000 tonnes per year, mainly for switches and contacts in electric appliances. Gold is the second PM in order of consumption (over 250 tonnes per year and 8% of the total demand) and it is almost ubiquitous in electronics where it finds application to produce bonding wires in integrated circuits and as a coating for contacts and connectors. It is also used as solder in integrated circuits (in alloy with tin) or for wide coatings where it ensures protection against corrosion. Palladium, platinum, rhodium and iridium follow in order of consumption [1- 3]."

Jan 1, 2008

By Chris T. Vild

"ABSTRACT NOT AVAILABLEPRESENTATION SUMMARYIntroductionToday, light gauge aluminum scrap is melted in sidewell furnaces using natural gas reverberatory burners. The scrap is introduced into the sidewell adjacent to the combustion chamber through a submerged archway. Super-heated metal is then pumped into the sidewell where it aids in melting the scrap. From the sidewell, the flow is returned to the combustion chamber through a second submerged archway at some lower temperature. Normally, the burners are set at a designed high fire level and the scrap is introduced at a rate to attempt to mat.ch the burner input. A thermocouple in the bath is programmed to throttle back the burners to low fire if a high temperature limit is exceeded.Jn many cases the thermal efficiencies of these furnaces can be very low. With inadequate circulation, air and natural gas furnaces run at a dismal 18% thermal efficiency. If a circulation system· is added, the efficiency can jump to 28%. For a $100 million lb/yr recycling facility, and natural gas prices reaching $4.50 per million Btu, fuel cost at 18% efficiency can reach $1 million per year. A 10% increase in thermal efficiency saves $350,000 a year in fuel costs.With an increase in thermal efficiency, furnace utilization also increases. A 10% increase in thermal efficiency would result in a 20 million Btu furnace producing 12,000 lb/hr up from 8,000 lb/hr or 35 million lb more produced per year. This is a 33% increase in output.Most current furnace development has focused on burner technology using oxy-fuel, regenerative burners, etc. However, thermal efficiency is also largely effected by the molten metal circulation rate and how well the scrap is mixed into the superheated metal. Therefore, the flow dynamics should be optimized first, before installing of more thermal power.Jn an effort to understand the effect of these variables, a series of computer models were made and the critical factors studied with the goal of demonstrating an increase in thermal efficiency and production. Large-scale graphical representations of these models will be presented."

Jan 1, 2000

By S. Goto, S. Yamashita, K. Hata

"The average consumption of zinc dust for purification of zinc leaching solution is more than 25 kg per tonne of electrolytic zinc. Authors proposed to remove impurities in zinc leaching solution by electrolysis instead of cementation by zinc dust. The effects of copper and arsenic on electrodeposition of cobalt in zinc sulfate solution were examined fundamentally using a potentiostat. It is observed that cobalt is easily deposited on a cathode at potentials under -480mV with arsenic. Mesh cathodes of stainless steel and lead anodes were used in a small electrolytic cell and the electrolyte was circulated through 'the electrodes during the electrolysis. The effect of electrolyte circulating rate , pH, cell temperature, current density, and concentration of copper and arsenious ions on removal of cobalt were studied. Removal of Cd and Ni are also examined.IntroductionCobalt is difficult to remove from a zinc leaching solution by a simple cementation reaction using zinc dust. However, it is easily precipitated by zinc dust with co-addition of arsenious or stibinous oxide and copper ion in practical operations(I), (2), (3). The consumption of zinc dust for purification is 16-152 kg per tonne of electrolytic zinc and 65% of this zinc dust consumption is used for cobalt purification. The average retention time for purification of cobalt is 4.5 hours (1). A more economical process for purification is desired instead of zinc dust. The mechanism of this acceleration effect of copper and arsenious oxide on removal of cobalt are explained by the authorsas follows; a galvanic cell is formed between zinc dust and copper which is precipitated firstly, and cobalt is reduced on copper as Co-As alloy by this galvanic current(2). This assumption was confirmed in experiments using a galvanic cell with a membrane( 4). The following galvanic reactions occur between zinc dust and copper precipitate; on copper cathode,2H+ + 2e -= Hz(g)2Coz+ + 2HAs02 + 6H ++ 10e -= 2CoAs + 4HzOand on zinc anode,Zn = Zn = 2+ 2e –This galvanic current becomes almost zero in a zinc sulfate solution which includes only cobalt and no arsenious oxide, and cobalt is weakly deposited on a copper cathode. Cobalt deposition requiers a high degree of cathodic polarization. However, the galvanic current flows almost constantly in an electrolyte, which includes arsenious oxide, and the cathode potential is kept at about -500mV. Cobalt is precipitated as Co-As on the cathode.The authors assumed that cobalt may be removed by electrolysis at a very low current density instead of zinc dust and the following experiments were carried out. In the first part of this paper, the fundamental experiments using a potentiostat on the behaviour of cobalt in zinc sulfate solution are described. In the second part, the results of the electrolysis are reported. Cobalt is removed by a new type of an electrolytic cell, which was desigoed to <Iccelerate the rate of deposition of cobalt. The removal of cadmium and nickel in a solution which includes cobalt and arsenic are also examined."

Jan 1, 1997

By K. Prashant Sarswat

Isotopes are critical to a variety of applications including physical science analyses, biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and national security. In most cases isotopes must be relatively pure or highly enriched before they become useful. Current isotope separation technologies are relatively inefficient, capital and labor intensive, and often produced by a limited number of suppliers. In the category of isotopes, lithium is among other important candidates. Lithium is found naturally in two isotopes, 6Li which accounts for 7.5% of all lithium, and 7Li which makes up the balance of 92.5%. Each of these isotopes is important to the nuclear industry. 7Li is often used in the form of lithium hydroxide which is used to control pH in pressurized water reactors. The current supply of 7Li is based mostly outside of the United States, and its long-term supply is uncertain. Apart from supply issues, the use of mercury for 7Li separation is also a concern in commercial processing using the most common and efficient approach [1–3]. Hence, a reliable, environmentally friendly, and efficient technique is needed to produce 7Li. In this line of investigations, the authors used a two-compartment system and significant separation was achieved. In this piece of research, some preliminary results are presented including cell design and actual isotope ratio after enrichment. Applying an electro-potential across two electrodes can be used to drive electromigration of Li isotopes. The electromigration is in addition to normal diffusion. Note that 6Li diffuses faster and hence there will be a lowering of the 6Li concentration near the positively charged electrode and an enhancement in 6Li near the negative electrode during the separation process. Similarly, 7Li will be more prevalent near the positive electrode and less prevalent near the negative electrode during the initial separation stage [1].

By S. P. Mathew

The ISASMELT Lead Process is a continuous two stage process for the production of crude lead from concentrate. It is based on the use of a top entry submerged Sirosmelt lance to produce turbulent baths in which high intensity smelting or reduction reactions can occur. The process involves oxidizing the concentrates in the first stage to produce a high lead slag. This slag is tapped continuously and transferred down a launder to a second furnace where it is reduced with coal. Crude lead and discard slag are tapped continuously from this furnace through a single taphole and separated in a conventional forehearth. Process and engineering design work for a commercial scale Lead ISASKELT plant designed to produce 60000 tpa crude lead has been completed. This plant is planned to be operational in 1991.

Jan 1, 1990

By Jafar Safarian

Bauxite is the main raw material used for the production of alumina (Al2O3) through the well-known commercial Bayer process. This process has significant challenges such as limitation in using low-grade bauxites as they contain significant amounts of impurities such as Fe, Si, Ti. The Bayer process residue, which is known as red mud, is also a global environmental challenge due to huge amount of this low value residue production. An alternative sustainable process with high potential to solve these problems and produce valuable and consumable by-products is a pyrometallurgical-hydrometallurgical process in which the low-grade bauxite ore is treated through a smelting-reduction process, yielding iron alloys and a calcium-aluminate slag. Alumina is then produced from the slag by hydrometallurgical treatment. In the present work, the reduction of pellets produced from different bauxite ores by hydrogen is studied and it is shown that complete iron oxides reduction is possible. Further smelting and smelting-aluminothermic reduction of the reduced pellets show that iron and silicon ferroalloys can be produced, in addition to a proper slag for alumina extraction.

By Jean-Christophe Gebelin, Mark Jolly, Samantha Jones

"The de-waxing process in investment casting is truly a black art which is carried out in a black hole - the autoclave. The process involves exposing wax, coated by a porous ceramic shell, to steam at a pressure of 10 bar and a temperature of about 180°C. The processes which then occur are truly multi-media and multi-physics. Steam condenses in the porous ceramic, wax melts and flows, the shells expand and sometimes crack. Why the shells crack is one of the most difficult questions asked in the industry.Modelling and validating the de-waxing process is not simple. The IRC at the University of Birmingham is attempting to model this process using Physica+ a code developed in the UK. This paper will present the latest results in this attempt to model one of the casting industries most intractable problems.IntroductionThe de-waxing process using an autoclave involves the following physical phenomena:· Flow of the steam in the autoclave;· Heat transfer from the steam to the wax, possibly through the shell;· Melting and flow of the wax.At the same time, other phenomena may occur, such as the flow of the steam through the shell, the condensation of the steam on the shell surface and on the wax pattern surface, the flow of wax the through the shell, etc ...This shows how complex the de-waxing process is from a physical point of view. The main defect that appears during this process is the cracking of the shell. Previous modelling work carried out by Snow [1] has shown that it is possible to predict the stress in the shell, making numerous assumptions. In this paper, the modelling to predict the state of stress in the shell that is currently in development at the University of Birmingham is presented together with the presentation ofthe physical phenomena to model and the assumptions used. The parameters that are needed in such models will also be discussed, and some experimental work undertaken at the moment presented."

Jan 1, 2001

By Yingtao Zhang, Shaofeng Du, Yiming Rong, Wenjun Zhao, Gang Wang

"20Cr2Ni4A steel is a kind of high quality steel mainly used for manufacturing high-duty gears in the world. The high-duty gear with good performance must have wear and fatigue resistance properties. In order to get the good properties, the high-duty gear needs a high hardness gear surface and a good hardness gradient along the depth direction. In this paper, the samples were designed and a vacuum carbonitriding process was put forward to improve the surface hardness of parts for 20Cr2Ni4A. The process contained carbonitriding, quenching, cryogenics, and tempering process. The surface hardness and hardness gradient of carbonitrided samples were measured and the good microstructure was gained. The surface hardness is 67.SHRC and the case depth is 1.2mm.IntroductionSteels are widely used in industry, but the fatigue strength and the wear resistance of steel is much low. So the heat treatment process is put forward to improve the mechanical properties of steel. It can be improved by high-energy heat treatment methods for medium-carbon and highcarbon steel. Those methods will not alter the chemistry of the base metal [ 1].For low-carbon steels, carburizing and quenching should be used to improve the steels' mechanical properties, especially the surface properties. Compared with the carburizing, carbonitriding has more advantages, such as a short production cycle, low temperature and small deformation of parts. Carbonitriding is a modified form of gas carburizing, rather than a form of nitriding. The modification consists of introducing ammonia into the gas carburizing atmosphere to add nitrogen to the carburized case as it is being produced. Nascent nitrogen forms at the work surface by the dissociation of ammonia in the furnace atmosphere; the nitrogen diffuses into the steel simultaneously with carbon. Typically, carbonitriding is carried out at a lower temperature and for a shorter time than is gas carburizing, producing a shallower case than is usual in production carburizing [2]. As a material surface strengthening technology, carbonitriding has been widely used in the production [3]. And vacuum carbonitriding process is better than carbonitriding, because the vacuum carbonitriding temperature can be higher than carbonitriding without surface oxidation."

Jan 1, 2014

By Mahesh C. Jha

Molybdenum, a major refractory metal, is widely used as an alloying element in steels and superalloys to improve their corrosion resistance, physical properties and mechanical strength, particularly at elevated temperatures. The current worldwide production and consumption is estimated at about 130,000 tons contained molybdenum per year. Molybdenum occurs in nature as molybdenite mineral and is recovered by a flotation process as a primary concentrate at molybdenum mines and as a byproduct concentrate at copper mines. The concentrate is roasted to a technical-grade molybdic oxide (tech oxide) in multiple-hearth roasters. About 80 percent of the tech oxide is sold, as such or after conversion to ferromolybdenum, for addition to iron and steel. The remainder is further refined to pure oxide and molybdate chemicals that are used in the manufacture of catalysts, specialty chemicals, molybdenum metal and superalloys. This paper discusses the various steps in the extractive metallurgy of molybdenum, from flotation of sulfide concentrate to reduction of pure oxide to molybdenum metal.

Nov 26, 1999

By Hong Yong Sohn, Miguel Olivas-Martinez

"Different approaches are used for calculating the ‘energy requirement’ of a process. The determination of energy requirement becomes confusing for a process in which a fuel is also a reactant. The key issue is which heat of chemical reaction should be included in the ‘energy requirement’ value. We will use the example of ironmaking processes to illustrate the problem. The different approaches essentially boil down to the question: does one include the combustion heat of the reductant used in the reduction reaction or just the heat of the reduction reaction? Depending on the viewpoint, either approach can be accepted; it is a matter of convention. There is a need, however, to select a standard approach because the absolute value of ‘energy requirement’ of a process depends on the choice. The energy requirement of a novel flash ironmaking process will be compared with that of an average blast furnace operation.IntroductionDifferent approaches are used for performing energy balance calculations and perhaps more significantly in presenting the ‘energy requirement’ of a process. The question becomes more involved for a process in which one or more reactants are also used to generate the process heat by combustion. Often the key issue is which heat of chemical reaction to include in presenting the ‘energy requirement’ of the process.It is worthwhile to note at the outset that the difference in energy requirements between different processes for converting similar raw materials to the same desired product is largely unaffected by the choice of chemical reactions to be included. However, the absolute value presented as the ‘energy requirement’ of a process can be different by a large amount depending on the approach. We use the example of ironmaking processes to illustrate the problem. In these processes, as currently practiced or under development, carbon and/or hydrocarbons (including hydrogen) are used as the fuel as well as the reactant for reducing the iron oxide mineral.The different approaches in this case essentially boil down to the following question: does one include the combustion heat of the reductant used in the reduction reaction or treat the reductant portion as just a reactant? Depending on the viewpoint, either approach can be considered acceptable. It is a matter of convention. There is a need, however, to select a standard approach because the absolute value of ‘energy requirement’ of an ironmaking process (e.g., the currently dominant blast furnace process) depends on such a choice. It is particularly important to clearly state the specific approach used when the energy requirement of ironmaking is compared with those of other industrial processes such as petrochemicals production."

Jan 1, 2014